Ink fountains



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. L. WALDORF INK FOUNTAINS Nov. 6, 1962 Filed Sept. 50, 1959 5 h ll 1 "I ll4l l u El ltlHlL-lllrilr rllllllfllllll III I||| lL l ll-l Inventor.- -Joiaw L. Waidoa-j, by I Nov. 6, 1962 J. WALDORF INK FOUNTAINS 2 M m r 4 S L 4 O W a W e m a S 5 w .n a ,7. Z q u A a 6 6. a 3/ 4 a n Filed Sept. 30, 1959 a lmpenf'orlf I Jaw Z may", W aawme United States Patent 3,062,137 INK FOUNTAINS John L. Waldorf, Norwalk, Ohio (149 High St., New London, Ohio) Filed Sept. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 843,391 12 Claims. (Cl. 101-350) The principal objective of the present invention is to provide an ink fountain which enables the ink to be delivered to the ink roller in satisfactory condition for effective printing under a Wide range of conditions. This objective is attained by providing for the delivery of M either if necessary to ensure proper distribution of the ink to the roller-abutting transfer element, either a distributor roll or a doctor blade, from a reservoir by pump controlled delivery means proyided with a valve enabling the ink flow to be metered. Anink return to the reservoir includesa roll scraper that ispreferably adjustable and an'auxiliary reservoir, for additives such as solvents, has janoutlet discharging into the ink return and provided with a valve enabling the drip flow of the additive to be metered to meet existing operating conditions with the pump of the delivery means being operative to thoroughly and completely mix the ink and additives.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an ink fountain in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation thereof,

FIG. 3 is a section taken approximately along indicated lines 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a section taken approximately along indicated lines 4-4 of FIG 3, and

FIG. 5 is a section taken approximately along indicated lines 5-5 of FIG. 3.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by the drawings, the ink fountain comprises a base and side walls 11 and 12 in which are journalled the ends of the shaft 13 of the ink roller 14. One end of the shaft 13 protrudes from the end wall 11 for connection to a suitable drive, not shown, while the end wall 12 is provided with a recess 15 in which there is a gear 16 fixed on the other end thereof and in mesh with an idler 17 also rotatably mounted in the recess 15.

A back plate 18 is secured to the walls-and to the base and it and a cavity in the base 10 establish an ink reservoid 19 with which a filler port 20 having a hinged cap 20 and opening through the back plate 18, is in communication. The base 10 has a bore 21 whose axis is in parallel with the axis of the ink roller 14 and in which there is the casing 22 of a generally indicated pump 23. The casing 22 has an inlet 24 (see FIG. 3), in communication with the reservoir 19 and it is held from turning as by a pin 25 entrant of a groove 26 extending lengthwise of the bore 21. Within the casing, there is a rotatable screw 27 having an axial stem 28 fast on the exposed outer end of which there is a gear 29 in mesh with the idler 17 and located in the recess 15. A cover 30 for the gears 14, 17, and 29 is detachably secured to the side wall 12 and it includes a contact 31 engaging the the

the

"ice

2 the exposed end of the stem 2-8 thus to hold the pump 23 in position.

The pump casing outlet '32 is under the control of a needle valve 33 whose stem 34 is adjustably threaded through the wall 11 and provided with a knob 35. The thus metered ink flow from the pump 23 is delivered to a doctor blade 36 via the casing port 37, and the flexible tube 38 extending through the bore 39 in the base 10.

The doctor blade '36 is slidable in a slideway 40 in a central, roll accommodating recess 41 in a bracket 42. The side walls 11 and 12 have transversely alined, horizontal channels 43 and 44 slidably receiving the margins of the bracket 42. Adjusting screws 45 are threaded through the bosses 46 of the back plate 18 and these slidably receive push pins 47 and their backing springs 48. By these or equivalent means, the desired engagement of the doctor blade and the ink roller is adjustably effected to ensure the proper distribution of the metered flow of ink. It will be appreciated that a distributor roll may be used in place of the doctor blade and that a conventional, reciprocating roller may be associated with ink.

' The side walls 11 and 12 also have transversely alined, horizontalslideways 49 and 50 (see FIG. 5 slidably receiving a member 51 which is held therein by the back plate 18. A pair of screws 52 are threaded through the front part of the member 51 and these engage a bracket "53 each of whose ends is slidably entrant of a vertical slot 53 interconnecting the inner ends of the horizontal slideways in the appropriate one of the side walls. The bracket 53 is provided with a drain or return 54 receiving ink from a scraper blade 55 and discharging it into the reservoir 19. It is preferred that the blade 55 be detachable and of a safety razor type and, for that reason, the side walls of the return 54, at the front part thereof, have transversely alined, blade receiving slots 56. The blade 55 engages the roller 14 and the return 54 is supported by upper portions of the reservoir 19. The pressure of the blade 55 on the roller 14 is adjustably con"- trolled by the screws 52.

The member 51 includes a reservoir 57 for ink additives required to restore the ink removed from the ink roller 14 to a condition satisfactory for re-use. The reservoir 57 has a removable cover 58 and an outlet 59 disposed to discharge the ink additive into the return 54, preferably against the scraper blade 55 close to the ink roller 14. Flow through the outlet 59 is controlled by a drip metering valve 60 whose stem is adjustably threaded as at 61 through the rear part of the member 51 and is provided with a knob 62 marked with suitable indicia and yieldably held in a selected position as by a resilient arm 63.

it will be appreciated from the foregoing that ink fountains in accordance with the invention are well adapted to meet a wide range of requirements since the invention provides for a metered flow of ink to the ink roller 14, adjustability of the engagement of theink distributing element with the ink roller, the removal of the ink from the roller 14 after the inking of the stamp and the return thereof to the ink reservoir with the metered addition to the return flow of the additives necessary to ensure that the delivered ink is of acceptable quality and condition. In addition, the action of the pump ensures as thorough and complete mixing of the ink and additives as is accomplished at the ink factory.

I claim:

1. In an ink fountain, an ink roller, a transfer element abutting said roller, a primary reservoir, means to circulate ink from said reservoir to said roller and back to said reservoir, said means including an open return including a scraper blade and a delivery pump, and an auxiliary reservoir discharging into said circulating means on the infeed side of said primary reservoir and covering said return.

2. In an ink fountain, an ink roller, a transfer element abutting said roller, a primary reservoir, delivery means including a pump including a cylindrical casing whose intake is operatively connected to said reservoir and whose outlet is disposed to deliver ink to said element, and a screw rotatable in said casing, a return including a roller scraper and an outlet discharging into said reservoir, and an auxiliary reservoir above said return discharging into said return.

3. In an ink fountain, an ink roller, a transfer element abutting said roller, a primary reservoir, delivery means including a pump including a cylindrical casing whose intake is a port opening into said reservoir adjacent its bottom and whose outlet is disposed to deliver ink to said element, and a screw rotatable in said casing, a return including a rollerscraper and an outlet discharging into said reservoir, and an auxiliary reservoir above said return discharging into said scraper blade.

4. In an ink fountain, an ink roller, a transfer element abutting said roller, a primary reservoir, delivery means including a pump whose intake is operatively connected to said reservoir and whose outlet includes a needle valve and is disposed to deliver ink to said element, a return including a roller scraper and an outlet trough discharging into said reservoir, and an; auxiliary reservoir discharging into said return.

5. In an ink fountain, an ink roller, a transfer element abutting said roller, a primary reservoir, delivery means including an ink mixing and delivery pump in the bottom of said reservoir and having its intake opening into said reservoir and its outlet disposed to deliver ink to said element, a return including a roller scraper and an outlet discharging into said reservoir, and an auxiliary reservoir discharging into said return.

6. In an ink fountain, an ink roller, a transfer element abutting said roller, a primary reservoir, delivery means including a delivery and ink mixing pump in the bottom of'said reservoir whose intake opens therein and whose outlet is disposed to deliver ink to said element, said .pump being of the screw type, a return including a roller .scraper and an outlet discharging into said reservoir, and

an auxiliary reservoir discharging into said return.

7. In an ink fountain, a pair of side walls including two vertically spaced pairs of horizontal, transversely alined slideways, an ink roller journalled in said walls, a transfer element abutting said roller and slidably supported by one pair slideways, a primary reservoir, delivery means including a pump whose intake is operatively connected to said reservoir and whose outlet is disposed to deliver ink to said element, a return including a roller scraper and an outlet discharging into said reservoir, and return being in engagement with said roller and supported by said reservoir, an auxilairy reservoir slidably supported by the other pair of slideways and discharging into said return, and a back seating said element and said auxiliary reservoir in their respective slideways.

8. In an ink fountain, a pair of side walls including two vertically spaced pairs of horizontal, transversely alined slideways, an ink roller journalled in said walls, a

transfer element abutting said roller and slidably supported by one pair of slideways, a primary reservoir, delivery means including a pump whose intake is operatively connected to said reservoir and whose outlet is disposed to deliver ink to said element, a return including a roller scraper and an outlet discharging into said reservoir, said return being in engagement with said roller and supported by said reservoir, an auxiliary reservoir slidably supported by the other pair of slideways and discharging into said return, adjustable means carried by said auxiliary reservoir and engaging said return for adjusting the pressure of said scraper on said roller, and a back seating said element and said auxiliary reservoir in their respective slideways.

9. In an ink fountain, a pair of side walls including two vertically spaced pairs of horizontal, transversely alined slideways, an ink roller journalled in said walls, a transfer element abutting said roller and including a bracket slidably supported by one pair of slideways, a primary reservoir, delivery means including a pump whose intake is operatively connected to said reservoir and whose outlet is disposed to deliver ink to said element, a return including a roller scraper and an outlet discharging into said reservoir, and an auxiliary reservoir slidably supported by said other pair of slideways and discharging into said return, and a back seating said auxiliary reservoir in its slideway and including resilient adjustable means, en'g-agable with the rear o-fsaid' bracket for adjusting the engagement of said element and said roller.

10. In an ink fountain, a pair of side walls including a pair of horizontal, transversely alined slideways, an ink roller jornalled in said walls, a transfer element abutting said roller and including a bracket slidably supported by one pair of slideways, a primary reservoir, delivery means including a pump who intake is operatively connected to said reservoir and whose outlet is disposed to deliver ink to said element, a return including a roller scraper and an outlet discharging into said reservoir, an auxiliary reservoir discharging into said return, and a back including resilient adjustable means engageable with the rear of said bracket for adjusting the engagement of said element and said roller.

11. The ink fountain of claim 10 in which the transfer element is -a doctor blade and the front of the bracket has a pocket slidably receiving the doctor blade.

12. In an ink fountain, a, pair of side walls including a pair of horizontal, transversely alined slideways, an ink roller journalled in said walls, a transfer element abutting said roller, a primary reservoir, a delivery means including a pump whose intake is operatively connected to said reservoir and whose outlet is disposed to deliver ink to said element, a return including a roller scraper and an outlet discharging into said reservoir, an auxiliary reservoir slidably supported by said slideways and discharging into said return, and a back seating said auxiliary reservoir in said slideways.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,262,707 Smith Apr. 16, 1918 2,055,272 Weiss Sept. 22, 1936 2,590,538 Huck Mar. 25, 1952 

